Experimenting is an important part of studying, possibly THE most important part, and science projects on solar energy can be very simple to do.
With the increasing awareness of environmentally friendly sources of energy, or more particularly, the damage that is being done by the use of fossil fuels such as oil and gas, solar energy science projects are being welcomed by teachers as a great way to make younger people more responsible for the health of their planet.
Simple science projects on solar energy might include the following:
Building your own solar panel is another great idea, but will cost a little more money. You could buy photo-voltaic (or PV) cells quite inexpensively online, from Amazon.com or eBay.com.
There are several grades of quality, but it's best to keep costs down by purchasing the least expensive, which is most likely going to be the poorest quality. Of course, for science projects on solar energy this doesn't matter, because it's not a problem if it doesn't last very long due to its lack of durability. It only has to last long enough to present it.
Building a solar powered oven using the same principles as when the interior of a car gets very hot on a sunny day.
Showing how solar energy can extract water from the ground by evaporation, by digging a hole in moist earth, putting a cup in it and then covering it with a clear polythene sheet with a pebble on the sheet above the cup.
More solar energy science projects might include using a magnifying glass to heat water in something, such as water in a thimble. Don't let your children get carried away with the magnifying glass though, because they CAN make things catch fire of course.
A simpler version of this using almost no equipment other than two cups of water is put these outside, one in direct sunlight and one in the shade. After about half and hour, it becomes clear that the water in the shaded cup is not anything like as hot as the one in the sunshine.
Depending on your child's age, determines what level of solar energy science projects should be used. For example, what might be very interesting for children (and the teachers who will grade them!) in grade 7 won't be the same for those in second grade.
There are lots of amazing experiments that can be put together will little cost, and sometimes these are far more interesting for both children and teachers alike than the ones that cost you a lot of money.
The key to getting this right should be a balance between pure science and great presentation. The science part is easy, and the only way you can get your child to present it well is to make sure that THEY really like the subject.
That way, their very enthusiasm will win over both their classmates and teachers.
